Our History

Opening in 1980, under the direction of Doug Flemer, Ingleside Vineyards is one of Virginia’s oldest and largest wineries and produces over 18 types of wine from its estate-grown grapes. For over thirty-five years, our hand-crafted wines have won numerous awards and top honors in state, national and international wine competitions, such as the London International Wine & Spirits Competition, the San Francisco International Wine Competition and the Virginia Governor’s Cup Competition.

Nearby, you will find the birthplaces of George Washington, James Monroe and the Lees of Virginia, among many other key historical spots of interest, including Ingleside Plantation. Built in 1834, it first served as a boys’ school known as Washington Academy. During the Civil War, it was used as a garrison for Union troops and later a courthouse.

Since 1890, the Flemer family has owned and operated this historic estate and for the first fifty years, it functioned as a dairy farm. However, in 1940 Carl Flemer Jr. had bigger plans and over the years, the estate evolved into Ingleside Plantation Nurseries and later Ingleside Vineyards after stumbling upon the fact that our location and conditions are prime for growing high-quality wine grapes. Ingleside Plantation has received the designation of a Virginia Century Farm, honoring 100 consecutive years of farm operation.

Ingleside is proud to be one of the pioneers of the modern wine industry in Virginia. Ingleside was the first winery in Virginia to produce a mèthode champenoise sparkling wine, beginning with our 1980 vintage. We were also the first winery in Virginia to bottle a varietal Petit Verdot, now one of our flagship wines and a recent winner of “Best Petit Verdot” at the 2012 San Francisco International Wine Competition. Today, we continue to explore unique grape varieties in Virginia, finding success in recent years with several Italian and Spanish grape varietals, including Albariño, Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese. Our 2014 Albariño won “Best White Wine in Show” at the 2015 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition.

Our unspoiled and unpretentious surroundings offer an atmosphere of relaxation; the perfect getaway from the hectic life of the city. Ingleside embraces the casual attitude and lifestyle of the Chesapeake Bay Region. We invite you to experience our exceptional wines and indulge yourself in the rich history and beauty of Virginia’s Northern Neck region!

Notable Awards:

Three-time winner of the Virginia Governor’s Cup (1983, 1984 & 1986)

Featured in the 2017 Virginia Governor’s Case – the 12 top scoring wines in Virginia (Petit Verdot 2014)

Winner of “Best Albariño”/Double Gold at the 2017 San Francisco International Wine Competition (Albariño 2016)

Winner of “Best White Wine in Show” at the 2015 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (Albariño 2014)